Doctors are constantly on the look-out for high cholesterol levels because having an unhealthy amount of cholesterol in one's bloodstream can be fatal.
This is caused by the inadequate intake of lower cholesterol foods and a sedentary lifestyle.
It can lead to a variety of cardiovascular diseases, particularly high blood pressure, heart attack and arrhythmia or an irregular heartbeat.
It is important to note that these effects do not happen overnight; it usually takes years before such complications set in.
Time and again, Americans have been advised to lead a more active lifestyle and to stay away from junk food.
Unfortunately, the overall culture is not that supportive of this ideal, considering the number of fast food establishments in the US.
Given the circumstances, it is difficult to find any lower cholesterol foods anywhere so people would rather look for more accessible hunger busters.
Major fast food establishments have been attempting to come up with healthier alternatives to their regular products.
Some have started offering low-fat ice cream or hamburgers without mayo or grilled chicken breast instead of the usual fried ones.
However, these so-called low-fat options are not really what they seem because some of them are not even lower cholesterol foods.
A number of diet websites have offered an array of food choices and weight control advice to prevent cholesterol problems.
A common advice is the lesser intake of products which contain trans-fat, which is also known as unsaturated fat, because such products will increase the amount of lower density lipoproteins (LDL) or bad cholesterol in the bloodstream.
When this happens, the arteries get clogged and the more constricted they are, the harder it will be for the heart.
Hence, to prevent this build-up of plaque, weight watchers are encouraged to munch on not-so-fatty foods.
However not all foods containing fat are bad because there are some which have the good kind of fat.
For one, there are nuts that have monounsaturated fats, which lower the amount of LDL while increasing the higher density lipoproteins or HDL in the blood.
There are also fruits and certain oils that contain this same type of good fat.
Fish is also known for containing polyunsaturated fats, which works like monounsaturated fats.
In fact, scientists have found that substituting red meat with more fish will increase one's lifespan.
The book Crunch Cholesterol by Colin Carmichael, health consultant and medical researcher, proposes a new way of living a virtually bad-cholesterol-free life.
In the book, Carmichael recommends a line-up of lower cholesterol foods that are good for the heart.
This book reveals a lot of truths that most doctors would not tell their patients.
It could be the health bible that every one's been waiting for.
Many self-proclaimed diet experts have also published books on how to fight fat, as well as the low-fat food options that one should avail of.
However, weight loss is not always the solution.
It may help get rid of excess pounds and make one feel better about oneself, but it is not a guarantee for avoiding heart problems.
The body needs fat to absorb nutrients so totally eliminating triglycerides is not the key to a heart-disease-free life.
Lowering cholesterol is the best way to go.